


Put Your Lips Close To Mine (As Long As They Don't Touch)

by shesbreathless



Series: schmico codas [12]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Tumblr Prompt, post 15x06, the most important tag, this monster took control of my life for weeks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 05:29:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19202854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shesbreathless/pseuds/shesbreathless
Summary: Nico and Levi still haven't recovered from their less than perfect encounter in the elevator, and they are forced to attend a conference together. What happens when a twist of fate makes it so only one hotel room gets booked for the both of them?





	Put Your Lips Close To Mine (As Long As They Don't Touch)

Levi turns a corner and almost runs into a gurney that was randomly left in the middle of the hallway. He swears under his breath and sidesteps it, keeping his head low and eyes focused on the notepad in his hands.

He’s shadowing the self-proclaimed Ortho gods today, because the universe hates him and constantly tries to make him as uncomfortable as possible. Link has been talking for at least twenty minutes without ever stopping, and Nico hasn’t even looked at Levi. Whatever, he’s busy taking notes anyway.

Their last encounter still hasn’t fully left Levi’s mind; hands cradling his face, soft lips on his, followed by the most awkward and soul-crushing sequence of words that were ever spoken to him. It’s safe to say that Levi hasn’t slept at all, tossing and turning while his head tried to wrap itself around this new development.

It hasn’t been very successful yet.

“So, is everything set for the conference tomorrow?” Nico asks in a moment of quiet.

Levi stops in his tracks before he hits Nico’s back, and looks up to Link’s surprised face.

“Tomorrow?” he asks, scratching his head. “Isn’t it next weekend?”

“Uh, no,” Nico answers.

Levi looks between the both of them, trying to understand what they’re talking about. His pen is still attached to his notepad, leaving an increasingly long mark down the page while he doesn’t pay attention.

“Shit,” Link puts his hands on his hips. “Well, I can’t come.”

“Do you want me to call and cancel our participation?”

Still confused, Levi keeps looking between them, but it gets more obvious by the second that he is not included in this. That is, until Link looks over Nico’s shoulder and directly at Levi, with a smirk that makes Levi immediately uneasy.

“No,” Link says. “Schmitt can come with you.”

Levi’s heart skips a beat. Nico barely turns his head, then visibly swallows and turns back to Link.

“You want to replace the head of Ortho with an intern?” Nico shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

“You’re going to be there, he just needs to take notes,” Link shrugs. “He looks like he’s good at that.”

Levi ignores how they’re talking about him as if he wasn’t right there, in favour of trying as hard as he can to disappear. Maybe if he stands still enough, they will forget about him. That doesn’t happen.

“Do you have anything better to do, Schmitt?” Link asks him directly.

“I,” Levi starts, then thinks better of it. “No, I don’t.”

“Great, then,” Link claps his hands. “Glad that’s settled. Let’s get back to work.”

He starts walking again, disappearing into a patient’s room, leaving Nico and Levi in the middle of the hallway, still stunned. Somehow, Levi snaps back first.

“Well,” he clears his throat. “That’s perfect. Maybe you can finally be an actual teacher.”

He only stays long enough to see the look of surprise on Nico’s face, then walks past him and follows Link. His mind is already swimming in worries and anxiety, partly about having to pack a suitcase for the next day, but he focuses on going back to taking notes for now.

He listens to Link presenting the case of an old woman needing a hip replacement, but he also can’t stop his mind going back to thinking about how much he doesn’t want to spend the weekend with Nico in some random hotel, at some random conference.

He doesn’t feel like he’s had enough time to be mad before being forced to work so close to him. And he has no idea what he’s actually supposed to do at this conference. Taking notes? About what? Did Link plan this?

Nico walks in only seconds after him, but Levi takes a deep breath and tries his best not to pay attention to him. It was Nico who said he wants nothing to do with Levi, so he’s going to grant his wish. He’s got this.

-

Levi has not got this. He’s late and he’s a mess and he’s going to get fired, while Nico watches and laughs at him. That’s definitely not how he thought his day was going to go.

He trips as he steps over the bench in the middle of the changing room, catching himself against the lockers before he crashes to the ground face first. The noise echoes in the whole room, but he’s thankfully alone. He throws the clothes he brought from home into his bag, looking for anything he might be forgetting.

“Fuck, toothpaste,” he whispers under his breath.

He mentally shrugs, figuring that there’s going to be some for him to use in his hotel room. He doesn’t even know where they’re staying. All he knows is that the conference is in San Diego, and it’s over the weekend. And he has to attend it with Nico. How is this his life?

“Levi?” somebody calls out for him.

He pops his head beyond the locker and finds himself face to face with Nico. The last time they had been in this exact room together flashes before Levi’s eyes, and it doesn’t look like Nico is that far behind him. Hopefully there will be no topless conversations this time.

“Uh, the taxi is waiting for us outside,” Nico explains, gesturing generally behind him.

“Yeah, sorry, I’m almost ready,” Levi nods, going back to throwing random stuff in his bag.

Nico leans against the wall and crosses his arms over his chest, watching as Levi flails and hurries to finish getting ready. In the back of his mind, Levi registers that he’s out of his work clothes, instead wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and light blue shirt tucked into it. It also reminds him that he is still wearing scrubs.

He returns to his locker and starts taking his shirt off, but the feeling of being watched makes him hesitate. He turns his head and catches Nico looking away, although not quite fast enough.

“I need to get changed, then I’ll meet you outside,” Levi tells him.

Nico nods and leaves without another word, letting the door fall shut behind him. Levi huffs and quickly gets out of his scrubs, refusing to think about anything at all. He’s going to get through this like a robot, and he’s not going to let anything or anyone stop him.

He zips up his bag, sighs and steps out of the changing room, ready to get through this and come out a winner.

The journey from the hospital to the airport is thankfully short, but they still manage to sit in silence for all of it. Even the taxi driver looks relieved when they leave, like he could feel the tension as well. Levi wishes he could tell him that he doesn’t know the half of it.

The airport is busy and loud, so they manage to get through security while happily ignoring each other. Levi only has to slip away and hide in the bathroom for a few minutes while they wait for the gate to open, splashing cold water on his face and giving himself a pep talk.

It’s not like he purposefully wants to make this as horrible as possible for the both of them, but he also has no idea how to make it better. Nico had been the one flirting with him, pursuing him, and then telling him that, you know what, I actually don’t want anything to do with you. All because he’s not as experienced.

That’s something that will inevitably create some conflict, isn’t it? Levi feels played and confused, both by Nico’s actions and by his own thoughts. Just when he was starting to fully come to terms with the fact that he was, in fact, attracted to this man, he thinks better of it and leaves him hanging.

Not that he had already been planning their lives together or anything like that, but it still doesn’t feel good. And he keeps catching Nico looking at him with that weird expression, so what is he meant to think?

He shakes his head at himself and moves to the side to dry his hands, taking a deep breath before leaving the room. When he gets back, he finds that the plane has started boarding already, and Nico is waiting for him impatiently.

“Sorry, we can go,” he apologises, picking up his own bag and shouldering it.

They have priority access, so they manage to slip in front of the growing line of people waiting, with just a small amount of guilt on Levi’s part. He’s going to take the luxuries that come with this trip, and nobody can blame him for it.

They find their seats easily, storing their bags overhead before finally being able to sit down. Levi stares longingly at the window seat that’s supposed to be Nico’s, and he must be more obvious that he realises, because Nico steps aside and makes a movement to let him through.

“Really?” Levi asks, looking at him in surprise.

“Sure,” Nico shrugs.

Levi thanks him quietly and shuffles past him, sitting down and immediately peering out the window. When he turns back, he finds Nico already staring at him, apparently struggling to find the words to say something.

Eyebrows raised in question, Levi waits for him to talk. It takes him a second, but finally Nico hangs his head and gestures with one hand between the both of them.

“Look,” he starts. “I feel like I owe you an apology.”

Levi doesn’t stop him. Instead, he turns his whole body towards him to show that he’s listening.

“Right,” Nico sits back, looks up, around, anywhere but at Levi. “I realise I was rude to you, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m really not the right person to guide you in your, like, coming out journey.”

Levi wants to tell him that he doesn’t need a guide for something about himself he already knows perfectly, but it’s not the time or place. And being told he’s not worth it just because he’s not an expert kind of hurts, anyway, so he doesn’t really feel like sharing.

“I just don’t want that whole thing to make this weekend unbearable.”

“It’s okay,” Levi shrugs. “I’ll just be your note-taking shadow for two days, we’ll barely have to interact.”

“Right,” Nico nods. “We’re okay, then.”

“Of course,” Levi attempts a smile.

Nico looks as unconvinced as Levi feels, but he still pats his hands on the armrest between them and turns towards the aisle without adding anything else. Levi closes his eyes and shakes his head, but ultimately turns to the window and stares outside, waiting for the plane to take off.

It’s a pity, he thinks. If he’s going to be honest with himself, he enjoyed the attention he had been getting from Nico. He thought he would be more freaked out by the whole Nico being a guy thing, but he was excited. He guesses he’ll have to use that new feeling somewhere else.

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Nico lying back, hitting his head against the headrest and sighing. Levi silently agrees. It’s not the best outcome for their situation, but it’ll have to do.

As he said, they can make it through this little hiccup without even having to talk to each other. It’ll be quick and painless, and then they can forget all about it. There will be no problems.

-

“There must be a mistake. Can you please check again?”

Levi would be laughing his head off if this wasn’t his worst nightmare coming to life. The receptionist types something on the computer, but Levi is pretty sure she’s just pretending to make Nico shut up by now. They’ve been standing here for the past half hour.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but there is no mistake,” she repeats for the hundredth time. “There’s only one room booked.”

Nico sighs and runs one hand through his hair. He huffs and glances at Levi, who’s leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest, panic making his stomach clench.

Levi must actually look as horrified as he feels, because Nico’s expression goes from annoyed to downright worried when he takes a good look at his face. He looks like he wants to say something to comfort him, but nothing comes out. He just sighs and almost gives up.

“And you’re sure there are no other available rooms?” Nico throws himself back on the desk.

“None. Everybody’s in town for the conference. Again, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

Levi can tell that he’s about to start arguing again, so he decides in a split moment that it’s not worth it, and he stops him with a hand on his shoulder. Nico’s eyes flit over to him, silently asking a question.

“It’s okay,” Levi shrugs. “We’ll have a sleepover.”

He regrets it as soon as it leaves his lips, because there is nothing about this that’s okay, but at least Nico looks more convinced. Levi takes solace in the fact that they won’t ruin the poor receptionist’s day any more than they have to, at least.

With a nod, Nico finally gives up. He picks up his copy of the room key and hesitates before passing the other one to Levi. The receptionist breathes an obvious sigh of relief, reciting the information about breakfast and the conference timetable, but they’re both only half listening.

Levi feels like he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown. Yesterday his only plan was to charm his way into scrubbing in on a surgery, and now he’s being told he has to share his hotel room with Nico. As in, one room with one bed, most likely one bathroom.

Somebody, somewhere, must be having a good laugh at his expense. It’s probably Taryn. And Link. Both of them. It doesn’t feel that far-fetched that they might have planned this. Levi doesn’t know how, but if there’s someone who would do this, it’s them. Okay, maybe he’s exaggerating. Or maybe not. No idea.

“So, the first conference is in twenty minutes,” Nico mumbles. “We should go.”

Levi looks up at him, and it takes him a few seconds to register what he said. When it does, he nods, pockets his key and attempts the fakest smile he can conjure up. Whatever to get through this unharmed.

“Sure,” he says. “Let me get out my notepad, and I’ll do what I apparently do best.”

He can tell Nico is done with his attitude before he’s even finished speaking. He’s kind of tired of it himself, but he’d feel weird stopping now. Mostly because he’s not sure what the alternative would be.

“I don’t know why, but I’m pretty sure you’re still mad at me,” Nico jokes as they start walking side by side.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Levi shrugs, and those are the last words they exchange for hours.

-

Levi’s head hurts from listening to doctors of all nationalities speak with big, difficult medical terms all day, and having to write all of them down. Now that he thinks about it, his hand started cramping a few hours in and never actually stopped. It’s also full of blue ink smudges.

Nico and he are done with conferences and meetings for the day. They’ve just had a dinner that still sits heavy in Levi’s stomach, and the only thing left to do is go upstairs to sleep. In the hotel room they’re sharing. Levi had almost forgotten about that.

“You ready to go up?” Nico asks him, nodding his head towards the elevator.

Levi looks at him, and only has to raise one eyebrow to make a blush appear on Nico’s cheeks. They definitely both remember what happened the last time they were together in one.

“You go, I need to make a call first,” Levi waves his phone in front of him.

“Oh, sure,” Nico nods, turning around and walking over to the elevator that has just opened its doors.

As soon as he’s out of sight, Levi calls up Taryn’s number and anxiously waits for her to answer. He knows for a fact she’s not on call right now, and he’s not going to give up until she lets him freak out as much as he needs.

“What,” is her answer.

“Where are you and who are you with,” Levi asks quickly.

Taryn hums and must put him on speaker, because the next time she speaks she sounds like she’s further away.

“I’m with Casey and Dahlia, what’s the emergency?”

Levi sighs and sits down on the closest piece of furniture he can find, which turns out to be an armchair that he basically sinks into. He stares up at the ceiling and sighs as dramatically as he can.

“I’m living my worst nightmare,” he whines.

There is no answer from the other side of the line, other than the noise of somebody loudly chewing on what sounds like chips.

“Is there any outcome in which we don’t have to hear about this?” Casey asks.

Levi rolls his eyes even though nobody can see him do so. He strongly believes it still carries its meaning across.

“What happened, Levi?” Dahlia leans way too close to the phone.

Levi really likes her, he decides. He likes her more than the others, definitely.

“So,” Levi sighs. “I’m sleeping with Nico tonight.”

Nobody speaks for a good couple of minutes. After that, the unmistakable sound of Casey’s most evil laugh deafens Levi, mixing with Taryn’s sigh of something between disappointment and gloat and Dahlia’s confused questioning.

“So you two finally got your shit together,” Taryn speaks over the noise.

“There is no shit to get together, you all just have dirty minds,” Levi rolls his eyes again. “The hotel booked only one room.”

“Okay, then, so you’re going to use this opportunity to get your shit together,” Taryn corrects herself.

Levi groans as they all start talking over each other again. He picks out a few words from Casey, but they’re mostly stuff that would get him kicked out of the hotel if he had them on speaker as well.

“You are of no use at all,” Levi tells them.

“What did you want us to say?” Casey yells. “Go for it, he likes you, you like him!”

Levi immediately pulls the phone away from his ear and winces, but he can’t fight the smile that threatens to appear on his face. He lifts his hand and touches his fingers to his lips, thoughts running a million miles an hour.

It’s true, they established that. Nico said he’s just his type, so what’s the problem? Levi would one hundred percent be on board with this, he’s not the one having doubts. His pride is just a bit wounded at the moment.

“I’ll let you know,” he decides, sitting up and pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Please don’t,” Taryn laughs before hanging up on him.

Just like that, Levi is left by himself again. He slides his phone in his pocket and looks around, noticing for the first time that there’s nobody else in the lobby with him. The elevators are whirring loudly in the background, and if he closed his eyes he could pretend he’s in the hospital hallway.

So, that was useless. Not that he was expecting any of them to actually be able to tell him what to do, but now he just feels like he purposefully let them make fun of him for nothing. He really wishes this weekend was over already.

With a sigh, he pushes himself up, smooths his clothes down, and reaches the elevator. He notices it’s already on its way to his floor, so he rocks back and forth on his feet while he waits. The whole process is quick and easy, the few people inside walking out and leaving him by himself.

He presses the button for their floor and hums to himself as he watches the numbers go up. Maybe if he just convinces himself that it’s not as bad as it seems, everything will go by easier. He’s going to try his best.

A loud ding and a worrying clunk later, Levi’s standing in front of the room sporting the same number as the key in his hand. He just needs to swipe it, walk in, get in bed, wake up tomorrow morning when it’s all done. It’s easy. He can do it. He turns the handle, and opens the door.

Before him is a scene that looks like it comes straight from his deepest dreams.

Nico is standing by the bed, bent over at the waist while he searches through his suitcase for something. That would be perfectly fine, if it wasn’t for the fact that the only item of clothing he’s wearing is a white towel barely hanging low on his hips. His hair is also dripping water down his chest.

“Shit, sorry, I’m so sorry,” Levi blurts out, covering his eyes with his hands.

Nico startles and snaps up, hits something on the corner of the bed and swears the whole way to the bathroom. Levi only takes his hand away from his face when he hears the door click shut.

“Oh my God,” he whispers under his breath.

Levi looks around, taking in what the hotel room looks like for the first time. It’s mostly neutral colours and simple furniture, but it looks nice. Expensive. The only features that look out of place are their bags and Nico’s work clothes, randomly strewn across the room.

“Oh. My. God.” Levi repeats, this time a bit louder, but still not enough for Nico to hear.

He sits down on the untouched side of the bed, the one further away from the bathroom, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. This is definitely off to a bad start. He tries his best to get the image of Nico out of his head, but that doesn’t look like it’s happening anytime soon. Levi is not sure it’s actually a problem.

A million scenarios run in Levi’s mind, but he has no idea how to face even one of them. He flops back onto the bed and decides that he’s way too tired to deal with this. There’s nothing to do, anyway. Worrying and making himself physically sick is not going to change anything.

He stops and listens for any sounds from Nico, but it’s deadly quiet in the bathroom. Levi takes advantage of the quick time window to get out of his own clothes and into the pajamas he brought.

“No,” he says to himself. “Why.”

Shaking his head, he lifts up the incriminating piece of clothing, in all its fiery red, covered in penguin pattern glory. He stares at it as if it holds the fault for all the problems in his life, and it’s not that far off.

He debates not putting them on, but that thought is worse than having Nico see him dressed in them. He’s not happy about it, but he’s way past chasing happiness by now. He slides his legs underneath the blankets pulled tight across the mattress and pulls them up as high as they can go.

Nico chooses that moment to step back into the room. He opens the bathroom door slowly and pops his head out to check the way first, then turns off the light and steps up next to the bed.

Levi was planning on completely ignoring him, but he’s forced to turn his head when Nico clears his throat. Once again, whatever he was going to say dies in his throat.

“Don’t freak out,” Nico braces his hands in front of him. “I have an explanation.”

He’s in his underwear, tight black briefs that make him look even taller and leaner than he already is. He’s doing a bad job at covering himself with his hands. Levi isn’t sure whether he’s in hell or heaven right now.

“I’m listening,” Levi raises one eyebrow.

“I usually sleep naked, and I obviously wasn’t expecting to be sharing the room,” Nico explains.

Levi gulps. “It’s okay.”

Nico nods and just stands there for a few more seconds, looking like he’s never been more uncomfortable and awkward in his life. Finally, he convinces himself to push down the blankets and get in as well.

It takes him a few minutes of shuffling around, but he finally settles down on his back, on his side of the bed. They both stare up at the ceiling in silence; the only sound comes from their soft breathing. The bed is too small for the both of them, so their shoulders brush against each other.

The whole thing is unbelievably awkward. Levi has no idea how he’s supposed to go to sleep like this. Then Nico decides to make it worse.

“Whew, it’s hot under here,” he chuckles nervously. “You’re like a furnace.”

“Sorry,” Levi mumbles, trying to shuffle away subtly.

“No, I meant,” Nico stops him with one hand on Levi’s forearm. “I’m not complaining.”

The point of contact between them feels like there’s electricity running through it. Levi bites his lower lip and nods, watching as Nico slowly retreats his hand. He feels like he has no idea what he’s doing. He dares looking to the side, and he’s met with the view of Nico’s profile as he stares pointedly up in front of him.

“What time is the first conference tomorrow?” Levi asks, the first thing that comes to his mind.

“Uh, 10, I think.”

“Good,” Levi clears his throat. “Well, good night, then.”

“Night.”

Levi turns on his side and faces away from Nico, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. What’s really bothering him is that they haven’t talked about who gets the bathroom first in the morning, but he guesses they’ll take things as they come.

He lies there on his side with his eyes focused on a random spot on the wall for what feels like hours, or at least until he can tell that Nico’s breathing has evened out, meaning that he’s fallen asleep.

With one last jerk, Nico shoots one arm out and hits Levi in the lower back, then retracts it and wraps it around himself. Levi fights to hold back a laugh, tucks the blanket tighter around himself so that there is some kind of barrier between them. He’s pretty sure he’s going to get close to no sleep tonight.

-

Everything’s warm. Levi burrows his face in the pillow and breathes in the clean cotton smell, lifting his arm to pull the blanket over his head. It doesn’t budge. He tries again, but still to no avail.

“Mh,” he complains, shifting onto his back.

That also doesn’t work. More than annoyed by now, he wills more of his body to wake up, in order to understand what’s keeping him from being comfortable and going back to sleep.

The first thing he registers is that maybe he’s _too_ warm. He tries lifting his arm again, but finds that something heavier is keeping it in place. He moves his legs, and they hit something behind him. Suddenly, his eyes fly open, and all of his muscles tense up.

Nico is really close to him, as in his arm reaches all the way around Levi and hangs off the side of the bed, and his legs are tucked up behind Levi’s. The hair on the back of Levi’s neck gets ruffled by rhythmic breaths, so his face must be really close to it.

Levi closes his eyes to calm down, only allowing himself a couple of seconds to enjoy this feeling. Not because of anything in particular, it’s just really nice. He’s allowed to think that, isn’t he? He rolls his eyes to himself, then begins the complicated operation that is slipping away from Nico’s tight hold.

He grabs Nico’s wrist gently and moves his arm away from his waist, wincing when Nico just complains in his sleep and tightens his hold, going as far as flattening his hand to Levi’s chest. He also shuffles closer, pressing his hips against the back of Levi’s.

“Fuck,” Levi whispers, holding his breath.

Nico’s chest is pressed right against Levi’s back, leaving no room between them. That means that Levi feels every muscle of his, including the one nudging the back of his thighs. He’s hard and there’s no denying it. This is a disaster.

Levi lets out another deep breath and tries again, rolling onto his belly and inching his way to the edge of the mattress, bringing Nico’s entire upper body with him. He figures that he has literally nothing to lose by now, so he tries to slide out of his hold and onto the floor, but Nico makes a sound first.

“What,” he sleepily says, lifting his head and looking around.

Levi braces himself for the moment Nico realizes what’s going on and inevitably freaks out, except it never comes. He hears Nico’s breath catching in his throat and he feels him tensing up, but nothing else happens. Levi has no idea what to do.

“Good morning?” he tries, feeling small and insecure.

“I am so sorry,” Nico starts, and the spell is broken. “Oh God, I’m sorry.”

He lets go of Levi and scoots backwards, as far as he can go. Levi sits up and turns to look at him. Their eyes meet, and Nico looks so scared that Levi cannot hold back the laughter that bubbles up from deep into his chest. Nico is not as amused.

“What is there to laugh about?!” he asks, voice high and hysterical.

That only makes Levi crack up harder, snorting and immediately covering his face with one hand. He doesn’t even have the strength to feel embarrassed by that.

“You should see your face,” he gets out between bouts of giggles. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“I,” Nico stutters. “I was-you were. We…”

“We were cuddling!” Levi exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air.

He’s tired of the bad feelings, of the doubt Nico’s words had put into his mind. Maybe it’s the early hour that’s making him feel like he’s braver than he actually is, but he can’t think of any reason why this should be a problem. Levi likes Nico, Nico likes Levi, and there’s nobody that can tell him it shouldn’t happen.

“I was asleep, and you were so warm, and…” Nico sighs. “I’m sorry.”

“Do I look like I mind?” Levi asks, as if it was the easiest thing he’s ever said.

Nico opens his mouth to say something, but he closes it when no sound comes out. He frowns and searches Levi’s face for something, and Levi lets him. He really has nothing to hide.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nico shakes his head, looking down at his hands.

Levi snorts and rolls his eyes, falling back against the pillows and turning on his side, arm bent at the elbow and head propped up on his palm. Nico unabashedly looks over his form, from his inevitably messy hair to the dip in his waist, then back up to his face.

They both surely have puffy eyes, and Nico has deep pillow lines down his cheek. He looks amazing. Levi kicks out one leg and hits Nico’s shin, keeping his foot there long enough for it to be considered too much.

“You realize I’m not, like, 15, right?” Levi raises one eyebrow. “I _do_ know what I’m talking about.”

Nico seems to think about it for a few seconds. He bites his lower lip and looks down at Levi’s extended leg, then back up at his face. He looks him in the eye and Levi could swear he almost breaks, but he doesn’t. He kicks off the covers and moves his legs to the side, stepping off the bed in one fluid motion.

Levi’s arm collapses under his weight and he buries his face in the pillow, groaning into it. When he sits up again, Nico is halfway out the door, wearing a random pair of elastic shorts and a green tank top.

“Where are you going?!” Levi calls out after him.

“Gym,” Nico answers curtly, then lets the door close behind him.

Levi stares at the spot he used to stand with his mouth open in shock. It only takes him a couple of seconds to decide that it’s not over. He scrambles to get off the bed and rummages through his own bag for something that resembles workout wear.

He settles for a pair of sweatpants he thanks his past self for packing, and the first t-shirt he finds. He stops in the bathroom to freshen up and try to tame the mess on his head, looking at himself in the mirror and wondering what the hell he’s doing.

Maybe this is what people refer to when they talk about butterflies in their bellies, and it means Levi’s doing the right thing. Or maybe it’s existential dread settling in telling him he should stop while he still can. It could go either way, really.

“Shut the fuck up,” he tells his own reflection.

He knows what he saw, he can tell what he’s feeling means something, he’s not completely delusional. Yeah. He can do this.

Levi storms out of the room, almost running to the elevator, and only stopping for a split second in front of the map of the hotel to check on what floor the gym is. He presses the button and the elevator doors open instantly. It takes a minute for Levi to be jogging down the hall and stepping into the gym.

Nico is walking on a treadmill, but Levi can tell he notices the exact moment he walks in, because he straightens his back and pointedly looks away from the door.

“Ah, yes, some exercise first thing in the morning is what I need,” Levi says out loud.

There is no answer or acknowledgement from Nico, but Levi doesn’t let that discourage him. He picks out a yoga mat from the cabinet they’re stored in, and lays it out in the middle of the open floor. The treadmills face the centre of the room, so Nico is going to have to look at him whether he likes it or not.

“What are you doing?” Nico asks, and he sounds almost alarmed.

Levi shrugs and looks at him over his shoulder. “Stretching.”

Nico nods and looks away once again. Levi smirks and bends down in a pose that makes his hamstrings burn. He doesn’t know if it actually counts as stretching, but he knows for sure that his ass is pushed out and Nico, as hard as he pretends he isn’t, is looking at him.

He only has to shift onto a few more positions before Nico can’t take it anymore.

“You’re doing it wrong,” he calls out from his now turned off treadmill.

“Am I?” Levi pretends to be surprised. “Can you teach me how to do it right?”

They’re ridiculous and they both know what’s happening, but they still go along with it. Nico stares at Levi with a straight face, eyes locked into his. He only hesitates for a second before approaching him.

“You’re gonna hurt yourself if you do it like that,” he clears his throat. “You have to, um, curve your back.”

Which is another way of saying Levi has to pop his ass out more. He doesn’t need to be asked twice.

“Like this?” he asks, bending forward and propping his hands on his knees.

Nico huffs out an exasperated laugh, then shifts around and stays quiet long enough for Levi to almost get uncomfortable. The second he thinks about walking away to save the last of his dignity, Nico puts his hands on the small of Levi’s back and pushes down.

“Like this,” Nico whispers.

Levi’s breath catches in the back of his throat. He closes his eyes and breathes through the feeling, heart beating a thousand times a minute in his chest. He slowly straightens up, Nico’s hands following the movement and ending up wrapped around Levi’s waist.

“Thanks,” Levi says, tone exaggeratedly chirpy. “You’re actually a great teacher, as it turns out.”

Nico laughs, tense and breathy. “Shut up.”

Levi seizes the opportunity instantly. He turns around, locks his eyes into Nico’s and gently puts his hands on his chest, drumming his fingers on it.

“Make me,” he says.

Nico swallows and tightens his hold on Levi’s waist, thumbs pressing on his hipbones. He subtly leans his head down, now close enough that Levi has to go cross-eyed to keep looking at him. He can feel Nico’s heart beating erratically under his hand.

“You have to stop flirting with me,” Nico breathes, nose brushing against Levi’s.

“Why?” Levi moves his hands up to link them behind Nico’s head.

“Because,” is all Nico says.

“And what if I don’t stop?” Levi asks.

Nico doesn’t answer. He slides his hands up Levi’s sides, cupping his ribs, then back down to the very edge of his pants. It all feels like the room would blow up if either of them moved too fast.

“You’re gonna regret it,” Nico tries, but he steps closer anyway.

“I won’t,” Levi shakes his head.

Nico sighs heavily and leans his head against Levi’s, closing his eyes.

“Promise?” he asks quietly.

Levi loses it. “Oh my God, are you seriou-?!” but Nico’s lips on his interrupt him.

It’s just as good as the first time, maybe even more surprising, surely more satisfying. Levi makes a happy sound and leans up onto the tips of his toes to be closer, one hand grabbing the back of Nico’s neck, fingers buried in the short hair.

“Idiot,” Levi mumbles against Nico’s lips.

Nico rolls his eyes and walks Levi back until he can press him against a wall and their bodies are touching from their chests to their knees. He grabs Levi’s jaw with one hand and holds his face still, then leans in and licks his top lip, right where his cupid’s bow creates a dip.

“You talk too much,” he whispers, then kisses him hard enough to make him hit his head against the wall.

It works in making Levi shut up.

“And you’re bossy, and you’re dramatic,” Nico continues, punctuating each sentence with another kiss at a different angle.

Levi doesn’t have time to complain, although he definitely thinks about it. Nico’s expression changes from exasperated to something that looks almost fond. Levi’s head is a bit too foggy from the recent series of events to really be able to tell the difference.

“And you’re also cute, and you’re sexy, and you’ve been making me go crazy since the first moment I saw you,” Nico dips down lower and bites the side of Levi’s neck.

Levi gasps and leans into it, eyes slipping closed and hands scrambling to hold onto anything. Nico bites and licks and he’s surely going to leave a mark, but Levi doesn’t really care right now. Definitely not when Nico pushes his hips against Levi’s and grinds forward.

“I thought you would be, I don’t know, freaking out about being gay or something,” Nico tilts his head to the side.

Levi huffs and rolls his eyes himself, slipping his thigh between Nico’s and grinding up.

“Does that feel like I’m freaking out?” he asks.

Nico laughs happily, daring to slide his hands even lower and gently cupping Levi’s ass. His hands are so big and they fit perfectly around the shape of his cheeks, and Levi must have done something very right in a past life to deserve this.

“What do you want,” Nico whispers, nibbling on the skin underneath Levi’s ear.

“You,” Levi answers easily.

Nico chuckles, pulling back and looking him in the eye. He raises one hand and runs his fingers through the mess that is Levi’s hair.

“How much of me?” he asks, and it really shouldn’t sound as dirty as it does.

“Ideally? All of you,” Levi steals a quick kiss. “Realistically? Just want your hands on me.”

Nico smiles and bends down to kiss him deeply, rolling his hips forward. He slips his hands under Levi’s shirt, while Levi runs his fingers down Nico’s front, feeling the ridges of his abs as he goes lower and lower. He hesitates when he gets to his pants, and of course Nico notices.

“You can touch all you want,” he encourages.

It’s not that he’s not sure about this, he just doesn’t know where to start. There are hundreds of ideas flying around in his head, and he can’t choose one for right now. He guesses they aren’t in any rush, are they?

“Okay,” Levi nods. “One thing at a time.”

He reaches around Nico and grabs his ass as well, just because he can. It’s as firm and amazing as he thought, and Nico’s answering laughter sounds like music to his ears. Any residual tension melts away, leaving only the realization that this is a thing, and it’s happening right now.

Levi lifts one leg and wraps it around Nico’s hip, allowing him to step in even closer and for their cocks to rub against each other. Even through several layers of clothing, the friction makes sparks appear behind Levi’s eyelids.

“I think I’m going to enjoy this,” Nico hooks hid hand under Levi’s knee and uses it as leverage. “You experiencing this… stuff for the first time.”

“Likewise,” Levi gasps when their hips align just right.

It feels like a fire is spreading in Levi’s lower belly, more intense than anything he’s ever felt. Nico’s body is strong, and he’s tall, his edges are sharp and he knows exactly how to make Levi’s head spin just the right way. Not giving up on this is the best decision Levi’s ever made, he’s decided.

Even through the arousal fogging his mind, Levi is perfectly aware that anybody could walk into the gym literally any second and find them humping each other by the weight racks. The thought should make him hesitate at least a bit, but it only spurs him on.

“Should we go back upstairs?” he mumbles against Nico’s lips.

“You have plans, huh?” Nico smirks.

Levi can tell his face goes bright red, but he stands his ground.

“I just want to see you naked,” he deadpans.

It’s Nico’s turn to go wide-eyed from the surprise, and Levi mentally pats himself on the back. He might not be the most experienced, but he’s got it. He pushes on Nico’s shoulders once, then again when he doesn’t budge.

“Conferences start soon,” Nico bites his lower lip.

“Well,” Levi pats both hands on Nico’s chest. “I guess I’ll go by myself.”

He frees himself from Nico’s arms and starts walking towards the door, swaying his hips more than would be considered to be subtle. He doesn’t hear anybody complaining. On the contrary, he immediately picks up on the sound of Nico’s footsteps catching up with him.

His arms wrap around Levi’s waist, and he picks him up like he weighs nothing. Levi squeals and holds on for dear life as Nico spins once, then lifts him up onto his shoulder and walks towards the elevator. It’s still there waiting for them, so Nico lets him down and immediately pins him against the wall.

“Don’t you dare make any kind of joke,” Nico threatens.

Levi won’t hide that the thought had crossed his mind, but he doesn’t get to say anything, because there is a loud ding that makes them spring apart like they’ve been burnt. It’s all strangely familiar.

The two women that step in barely even acknowledge their presence, deep into a conversation of their own. Nico and Levi glance at each other behind their backs, fixing their clothes and hair as best as they can. Levi’s heartbeat feels like it will never slow back down.

The ride takes forever, and Levi is ready to jump out of his skin by the time the doors open onto their floor. They basically run out, walking all over each other and scrambling to slide the key card in the reader. When the door finally unlocks, Levi grabs Nico by the shoulders and uses their combined weight to slam it open.

“Eager, huh?” Nico chuckles, falling back against the bed.

Levi stands in front of him, looking down at the perfect picture he makes, the white blanket making him look radiant, his fluffy hair a dark pop of colour. He can’t believe he’s allowed to touch and feel as much as he wants, and he might even get some in return.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Levi chants under his breath as he takes off his clothes as fast as he can and watches Nico do the same.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get there,” Nico winks, he fucking winks.

Levi acts shocked as he pounces on Nico’s now much more satisfyingly naked form. They’re both still wearing their underwear, but it’s _so_ good. He doesn’t let that distract him from Nico’s obscene way of speaking, however.

“You’re so full of yourself,” he grins as he leans his face so close to Nico’s that their noses bump.

“Shut up and kiss me,” Nico grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him down.

They crash against each other, a hard kiss with teeth and bites and too much smiling, but it’s perfect this way.

Nico rakes his nails down Levi’s back and grabs his hips, flipping them both with one swift movement, then grinds down and swallows Levi’s surprised moan. Things escalate quickly, and soon enough Levi finds himself having to stop his hands from sliding inside Nico’s underwear.

Not that he thinks he’d mind, but perhaps there are too many things going on at once. It could get very overwhelming very easily, so Levi sticks to kissing back as best as he can and cants up his hips in time with Nico’s. That’s making his head spin enough as it is, anyway.

“Okay?” Nico mumbles against his lips.

Levi resolves to nodding vigorously so as not to interrupt the kiss, pushing his hands on the small of Nico’s back to hint that he should go faster, harder. If he stopped to think about it he would probably blush his head off, but right now it feels way too good to think about anything.

The heat keeps building in his lower belly, the promise of release just a thrust away, and it looks like Nico isn’t too far behind. Levi keeps making these gasping sounds and Nico grunts in his low voice, both getting louder with every second that goes by.

Nico grabs one of Levi’s legs and bends it to get even closer, and that’s it. The change in angle makes their hips fit perfectly, the pressure tips him over the edge, and in a second he’s coming so hard that he’s left breathless from the intensity.

“Ngh,” Nico makes a strangled sound and follows suit, arms collapsing under his dead weight.

Levi pretends to be gasping for air and tries to shove him off. When he doesn’t even manage to make him budge, he gives up, wraps his arms around his back and takes a satisfied breath.

They keep quiet for a while, breathing each other in and enjoying the moment. Levi lightly scratches his nails on the back of Nico’s neck, and goosebumps appear all over his skin. When he lifts his head and looks Levi in the eyes, there’s a happy glint in them. Neither of them can stop smiling.

-

“Guilty!”

Levi’s heart almost stops, right then and there. He turns around with a hand pressed over his chest, eyes flitting all over the E.R. looking for the source of the voice. He can’t see anything, until he gets run over by light blue scrubs and hair, so much hair.

“You are the guiltiest guilty person to have ever been guilty!” Taryn screams in his face.

“What the _fuck_ are you talking about?!” Levi screams back, trying to get away from her.

She grabs him by the shoulders and forces him to look at her. She has the biggest smile on her face, patting him on the back like he’s won something. He’s so confused.

“You basically have it written on your face,” Taryn rolls her eyes.

Levi’s whole life feels like it flashes in front of his eyes, worried to death that maybe Nico left some visible marks on his neck, and everybody can tell what he got up to over the weekend. She opens her mouth to most likely keep yelling at him, but somebody else beats her to it.

“Schmitt! Am I supposed to take my own notes today?”

Levi does a one-eighty and comes face to face with a happy looking Link. There’s something different about him, though.

“Did you do something to your hair?” Levi wonders out loud. “I like it.”

Link stares at him long enough for him to wish he could just sink into the ground after what he said. Then he smiles genuinely and nods his head in the direction of the hallway.

“You can skip the notes for today,” he says, then walks away.

Slightly stunned by how not horribly that went, Levi exchanges one last panicked look with Taryn while he walks away. She subtly flips him off and sends him an air kiss. Levi is still so confused.

“So, I was told the conference was really interesting,” Link says casually when Levi catches up with him.

“Uh, yeah, it was,” Levi answers, but he’s distracted by Nico showing up out of nowhere and falling into step with them.

They barely exchange a glance, but they don’t need to. Levi still remembers the way his lips felt against his this morning in a supply closet, dirty and secretive and so much fun. He might lose himself for a while thinking about it, because when he comes to again, they’re waiting for him to follow them into a room.

Blushing, he steps in and closes the door behind him. They’re supposed to be doing a consult for somebody, but the patient is not here yet. Levi crosses his arms behind himself and looks around the room.

“Nico, this surgery is yours,” Link points towards him. “Schmitt, you’ll assist.”

“Cool,” Nico nods.

“Thank you,” Levi smiles.

Link looks between them with a comically suspicious expression, tapping his finger on the bed railing. Levi fights the instinct to turn his head to look at Nico with everything he has, instead keeping his face as uninterested looking as possible.

“Why do you two suddenly not want to kill each other anymore?” Link asks.

Levi immediately starts sweating. He clears his throat and shifts his weight from one foot to the other, trying to come up with a witty but still satisfactory answer. Nico beats him to it.

“You complaining?” he tilts his head, smiling.

Link smiles back at him and they stare at each other for a few seconds. Levi has never felt more uncomfortable. Then Link seems to decide that that was enough, because he straightens his back and claps his hands.

“No, I’m not complaining,” he smirks. “So it’s all good, yes?”

Nico looks to the side and catches Levi’s eye. They share a small smile, and a subtle wink on Nico’s side. Levi can feel the blush high on his cheeks, but he feels like it’s okay if he doesn’t care. As the door opens and two nurses wheel the patient in, Levi answers for Nico.

“Yeah, it’s all good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Almost a month later, I'm posting again! I'm sorry, but I hadn't considered how much this exam season would have kept me busy. This fic is based on a few prompts I was sent on Tumblr, and I immediately fell in love with them <3
> 
> If you liked this, let me know with a comment or hit me up on [Tumblr](https://shesbreathless.tumblr.com/)! <3


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